Vehicle fleet managers or administrators manage several expenses associated with overseeing operation of the vehicles of the fleet. For example, fuel costs are an expense that managers, or vehicle operators themselves, face on a recurring basis. Fuel costs, exacerbated by a prospect of rising fuel costs, can incentivize managers and operators to reduce costs associated with fuel consumption. Further, owners or operators of consumer vehicles or other units are also motivated to reduce costs associated with fuel consumption.
The miles per gallon (MPG) metric associated with a vehicle can be an indication of the efficiency of a vehicle operator, or other factors. For example, the higher the MPG of a vehicle, the more miles the vehicle gets out of a tank of gas, and as a result, the associated fuel cost is reduced. For further example, if a first vehicle operator operates a vehicle at a lower MPG than does a second vehicle operator, then the fuel costs associated with the first vehicle operator operating the vehicle are higher.
Typical vehicles include multiple gears that are switched to during operation of the vehicle. Usually, as the speed of the vehicle increases, the vehicle transmission will increase the gear that the vehicle is in, up to what is known as the vehicle's “top gear.” More particularly, the transmission allows the gear ratio between the vehicle engine and the drive wheels to change as the vehicle increases or decreases speed. Further, gear shifts allow the vehicle engine to remain near the revolutions per minute (RPM) band of the vehicle's best performance. Typically, a vehicle experiences its most efficient MPG operation when the vehicle is operating in its top gear. More particularly, the vehicle can have the most efficient MPG at or near the point at which the vehicle switches to its top gear.
Currently, vehicle fleet managers or vehicle operators have no information related to when a vehicle switches into top gear, or how much time the vehicle operates in top gear. A need therefore exists for systems and methods for providing information related to vehicles operating in top gear. More particularly, a need exists for platforms and techniques for reducing fuel-related costs by analyzing data associated with gear operation of a vehicle.